Automobile lock



June 16,. 1925. 1,542,137

J. F. HOFFMANN AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed Nov. 13, 1922 Patented June 16, 1925" umrao STATES BATE-NT OFFICE.

Josnrn n'norrniann; ornmnrnnwoon, mesons-r, aissienoni ro".ronuson AUToMo BILE LooK'ooMrnNY, OF"S'I. LOUIS; mssonnr; AfCOB-FORATIO-N or memo-Is) AUTOMOBILE LQCK.

Application filed Nov mber-1s, 1922. Serial No. 600,677.

Tova whom it may concern:

hflaplewood, county of St. Louis State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement ininutoinobile Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad tothe accompanying. drawing, forming apart thereof. v

Thisinventi'on relates to a certain new and useful improvement in automobile locks and; has for -1ts chiefob ect the provision ofi a =readily actuated, efficient device whereby the transmission "of-the automobile may bepositively andsecurely locked against operation and unauth'orized i-use of theautomobile consequently obviated. a,

ith- -the above-and other objects in View,

my present invention resides in v the novel features of form, construction, arrangen'ient, and combination of parts hereinafter de scribedaircl= afterWa1'dspointed out in the claims: a i

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is" a fraginental longitudinal sectional view of the transmission and trans missio1i:-housingi fol an: automobile" equipped with-"a dock embodyingimy invention; 4

Figure 2 is a fragmentaltransyerse sectionali view of the" same; taken approximately on *th'e'dine' -'22, Figure 1 Figure 3' is a'reduced side elevational ViW- ott' the-same; an-d i Fignreia is ian" elevatlonal 'view; partly in longitudinal isectiong of a slightly modified erence characters to said drawing, which 1 generally 'illustrates my inventionin fpreerred for-111;; my new lock 1s especlally adapted for use"; 111" connection. with: aut'o mobiles fo'f the Ford type; ol iwh-iclr 1 repre se'n'ts {the transmission geari-case or cliousing having 1 the usual topz' access-afiiordmg. open- 1ng 2, and.3 i=representsthe -flywheel of the periphery with an? annular seriesot teeth "5; Adapted to fit upon; and fornr a closu'refonopeningi-2 ofiicaserorv housing 1, as'best" seen inICFigur-es 1 and F is a preferably y area and upon its upper or exposed face Be it knownthat LJosnm-I F. HQFFMANN, V EICIUZGD ofthe United States, residingat with an upstanding barrel 7 andupo'n its under or concealed face with aligning pairs 01" suitably spaced bolt-supporting eyes 8, 8, and 9 9. As best seen in Figure 1, the bore of barrel? is prei'rably'enlarged, as at 10', and disposed for endwiseshiftab1e movement in barrel 7, isa depressible plunger 11 having. at its'upper endahead 12 accoinmodated by the bore-enlargen1ent 10.

Interposed in barrel 7 and on plunger 11 between the lower face of its head 12and the lower wall of bore enlar e-ment 10,is a coiled spring 13 adapted: yieldingly to retain the plunger 11 in normal elevated or raised depressible position: Upon one side, plunger-head 12* is longitudinally grooved or recessed as at 14; for engagement-by the inner end of a retaining-screw, pin, orthe like laseated in barrel? for limiting the shiftable locking-and unlocking movements of plunger 11 relatively to barrel 7; and permanently fixed in a honsing-enlargement 15 disposed upon barrel preferably diametrically opposite the plunger-retaining pingli" is asuitable lock 17 c-oinprisi'ng a rotary spring-pressed tumbler l8 and bolt" 19 the latter being adapted automatically to project into it: recess 20 provided inplunger head 12- when the plunger 11 is depressed and'the tumbler "l8 and its bolt being key-actuable for withdrawing: bolt 19 from lockingrengagement with the plunger. At itslower end, plunger 11 is prefer ably oppositely beveled; as, at 21, for actuating: engagement with the innerends of a pair or? oppositely disposed bolts 22, 23; supported, respectively, for slidable movement longi tucl inally of plate 6 and approximately at right angles to plunger 11 by; the pairs of eyesS; 8,-and- 93 9, each of whichbolts 22,23; being-preferably diametrically formed at its innerz'or}rearuend with a surface groove i for (co-operation: with} plunger- 11- when the latter is in depressedposition, and bolt 23 being"; formed at its outer or forward end with a tooth or teeth 25 adapted for'looking'fg' interengagement with teeth 5 offly-wh eel 3 OD fGlWV EII'Cl-pF0jeCtlO1'I or actuation of the Coiled a'on bolt 22 intermediate o ne'of the eyes *8 and-apin-26'carried by the bolt, is abolt-retracting .springh 27; and i similarly:

disposed on bolt 23 intermediate an eye 9 and a pin 28 carried by bolt 23, is a second bolt-retracting spring 29.

In use or operation, plate 6 and its carried parts is disposed in closure-position upon housing 1 and detachably fastened thereto by suitable cap-screws or the like 30, bolt 19 being out of locking-engagement with plunger 11 and plunger 11. and the bolts 22, 23, being yieldi igly in normal position or in the position thereof indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.. lVith the parts in such position, plunger 11 is substantially out of engagement with the bolts 22, 23, bolt 23 is out of engagement with the transmission-memher or fly-wheel 3, and the automobile may be operated and driven. On depression, however, of plunger 11 against tension of spring 13, the bolts 22, 23, will, as the plunger 11 is forced therebetween at its beveled lower end 21, be oppositely outwardly projected or actuated against the tension of springs 27, 29,-the one bolt 22 to lockingly engage at its outer end 31 with a wall of housing 1 and the other bolt 23 to engage at its teeth 25 with teeth 5 of the fly-wheel 3. At the same time, on depression of plunger 11, bolt 19 automatically enters the recess 20. Thus, the plunger 11 is automatically locked in depressed position with its lower end 21 disposed between the inner ends of bolts 22, 23, and bolts 22, 23, thereby, in turn, securely and positively locked in engagement with the transmission housing 1 and the transmission-member 3, or in the respective positions illustrated in full lines in Figure 1, and so engaged, not only is the trans mission most efiiciently and positively locked against operation, but also the plate 6 and its associated carried parts are similarly locked against removal from the transmission-housing, even on removal of the securing-screws 30. As best seen in Figure 2, the plate 6 is formed upon its under face with lugs 32, which are adapted for engagement with opposite walls of housing 1 at its opening 2 to prevent any twisting removal movement of the plate 6 when the bolts 22, 23, are in locked. position and the screws 30 removed.

On tumbler 18 being key aetuated to dis engage or withdraw bolt 19 from looking engagement with plunger 11, plunger 11 will at once be returned by its spring 13 to elevated normal position, whereupon bolts 22, 23, will similarly be retracted by their respective springs 27, 29, out of locking engagement with the housing 1 and transmission 3, when the automobile may be operated as is usual.

Preferably bolt 22 is beveled or cut-away at its outer end 31 to conform to the usual formation of the housing wall, and bolt 23 is also preferably beveled, as shown, at its toothed end 25 to clear the fastening-screws of ring 1 when projected into locking eugagement with the transmission member 3.

It might occur that the transmission of the car may come to a standstill with the flywheel 3 in such position that the teeth 25 of bolt 23 may not, on projection of bolt 23, immediately register and engage with the teeth 5. To consequently provide a ainst such contingencies and insure locking engagement between the bolt-teeth 25 and the fly-wheel teeth 5 on an attempted operation of the machine with bolt 23 in projected position, the construction of the locking-bolt may be modified-as shown in Figure 4 to include a cylindrical body-portion 23 reduced in diameter at its'forward. end, as at sleeved upon, and having slot-and-pin connection, as at 34, with which, is a tubularextension 35 provided at its outer closed end with fly-wheel engaging teeth 25 a spring 36 interposed within extension 35 between reduced body-portion 33 and the end wall of the extension 35 functioning to yieldingly project extension 35 away from the bodyportion 23" of the bolt. Vith such construction, it will be obvious that, while the extension 35 will be both projected forwardly, and retracted rearwardly, with the bolt proper 23*, should the teeth 25 fail to register with teeth 5 on projection of bolt 23, the extension will be yieldingly further projected on rotary movement of fly-wheel 3 to register and engage at its teeth 25 with the fly-wheel and thereby lock the trans mission of the car against further operation until released.

My new lock is relatively simple in form and construction, may be conveniently installed upon the car, is readily actuable. and is exceedingly efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

f I am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and COIIIblHHtlOD. of the several parts of my new look may he made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an automobile, including its transmissionhousing and rotary member of the transmissionassembly, a lock comprising a plate located upon the transmission-housing, a barrel fixed upon and upstanding at approximately right angles to the upper face of the plate, a pair of spaced aligning bolt-eyes depending from the under face of the plate, a toothed-end bolt supported by said eyes for slidable actuation to engage at its toothed-end with said rotary member to prevent rotary movement thereof, a plunger depressible in the barrel for engagement with and at the opposite end of the bolt for actuating the bolt into, and

lit)

retaining the bolt in, looking engagement the under face of the plate, a toothed-end bolt supported by said eyes for slidable actuation to engage at its toothed-end With said rotary member to prevent rotary movement thereof, a plunger depressible in the barrel for engagement with and at the opposite end of the bolt for actuating the bolt into, and retaining the bolt in, locking'engagement with the rotary member, and a compressible spring coiled on the bolt intermediate said eyes for yieldingly actuating the bolt out of engagement with the rotary member when released by the plunger.

In combination With an automobile, including its transmission-housing and a rotary member in the transmissi0n-assembly, a lock comprising a plate removably located upon the transmission-housing, a barrel fixed upon and upstanding at approximately 7 right angles to the upper face of the plate, pairs of spaced aligning bolt-eyes depending from the under face of the plate, a pair of bolts supported by said eyes in end to end alignment for opposite slidable actuation to engage at their outer ends with said rotarymember and said housing for pre venting rotary movement of said rotary member and removal of said plate, a plunger depressible in the barrel for engagement with and at the inner ends of said bolts for actuating said bolts into, and retaining the bolts in, looking engagement with the rotary member and the housing, and compressible springs coiled on each of said bolts intermediate the eyes of each of said pairs for yieldingly actuating the bolts out of engage ment With the rotary member and the housing when released by the plunger.

4-. The combination with an automobile, and its housing, the latter having an opening, of a plate adapted to fit upon the housing and provide a closure for the opening thereof, means for detachably fastening the plate in position upon the housing, a bolt carried by the plate for slidable actuation to engage a member of the transmission, a'

second bolt carried by the plate for slidable actuationto engage a wall of the housing, a shiftable plunger mounted upon the plate for operable engagement with both said bolts for actuating the same to, respectively, lockingly engage with the transmission-member and with the housing, and lugs on the plate adapted to engage the housing to prevent a twisting removal movement of the plate whe-nsaid bolts are in locked position and said fastening means released. v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH F. HOFFMANN. 

